Pipe cleaner



C. L. SHARPE Dec. 17, 1968 PIPE CLEANER Filed Feb. 21, 1966 INVENTORCLARENCE L. .SHARPE ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,416,539 PIPECLEANER Clarence L. Sharpe, 2208 E. 81st St., Cleveland, Ohio 44103Filed Feb. 21, 1966, Ser. No. 528,744 Claims. (Cl. 131245) ABSTRACT OFTHE DISCLOSURE A device for cleaning the mouthpiece of pipes, cigaretteholders, cigar holders and the like having a plurality of angularlydisposed resiliently deformable tines covered with flocking which ispulled through the mouthpiece for cleaning the same.

This invention relates generally, as indicated, to a pipe cleaner and,more particularly, to a novel device for effectively cleaning the entirewall area of the air passage through a pipe mouthpiece or the like.

There are a great many different types of pipe cleaners presently on themarket, some of which are more effective in cleaning pipe stems orcigarette and cigar holders than others. However, none of them consistsof a plurality of angularly disposed resiliently deformable tines withflocking thereon which are pulled through the holder for removingtobacco tars or other dirt particles from the diflicult to reach areasalong the side walls of the oval shape entrance in the holder leading tothe bore therethrough.

It is accordingly a principal object of this invention to provide anovel device for effectively removing dirt accumulations from themouthpiece of pipes and cigarette and cigar holders even along theremote side walls of the oval shaped entrance to the air passagestherethrough.

Another object is to provide such a cleaning device with a plurality ofangularly disposed flexible cleaning tines which resiliently engage theside walls of the mouthpiece bore during movement of such cleaningdevice therethrough to facilitate removal of encrusted dirt and tobaccotars therefrom which have been allowed to accumulate for a day or two.

Another object is to provide such a device in which the tines are fannedout all in the same plane to permit engagement thereby of the remoteside walls of the oval shape entrance in the mouthpiece.

Still another object is to provide such a device with a long flexibleshaft which may be inserted through the mouthpiece opening and graspedfor pulling of the tines therethrough.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent as the following description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention,then, comprises the features hereinafter fully described andparticularly pointed out in the claims, the following description andthe annexed drawing setting forth in detail certain illustrativeembodiments of the invention, these being indicative, however, of butseveral of the various ways in which the principles of the invention maybe employed.

In such annexed drawing:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a preferred form of cleaning device inaccordance with this invention shown with its shaft extending throughthe mouthpiece of a pipe or the like to be cleaned thereby;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged isometric view of the cleaning detail of FIG. 1;and

FIGS. 3 and 4 are fragmentary insometric views similar to FIG. 2, but oftwo other embodiments of cleaning devices in accordance with the presentinvention.

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Turning now to the details of the various forms of pipe cleanersillustrated by way of example in the drawing, and first of all to theFIGS. 1 and 2 form, such cleaning device is generally indicated by thenumeral 1 and comprises a substantially straight shaft 2 having aplurality of flexible tines '3 secured to one end thereof. The shaft 2is preferably of a diameter between two to three times smaller than theminimum dimension of the passage 4 through a mouthpiece 5 of a pipe stem6 or cigarette or cigar holder, as' the case may be, and is of a lengthsuch that its leading end may be inserted completely through themouthpiece 5 before the tines 3 enter such mouthpiece. Moreover, theleading end is desirably bent back on itself as shown in FIG. 2 or is inthe shape of a P or arrowhead such as illustrated in the FIG. 3embodiment not only to guide the shaft 2 through the mouthpiece 5, butalso to provide a blunt end which will not stab or scratch the personusing the device and can easily be grasped as between the thumb and thefirst finger for pulling the tines 3 through the opening 4.

In the cleaning device 1 illustrated, the tines 3 consist of a pair ofrelatively short pieces of wire 7, each about 2 /2 inches long, coveredwith a suitable absorbent fibrous material 8 such as woven fabric orwhite flock with a non-toxic acetate base sprayed on the wires beforeflocking, and bent at an angle of about 30 at the middle of theirlengths into a V shape to form each wire into two such tines. The wires7 are next attached to the trailing end 9 of the flexible shaft 2 as byheating such trailing end to soften it so that it may be flattened bypounding, flattening such end, and then bending the flattened end aroundthe middle of the wires to clamp them in place with the tines 3 disposedin the same plane but approximately /s inch apart. Alternatively, thetines 3 may be spot-welded to the trailing end of the shaft 2 as in theFIG. 3 embodiment, or they may be formed by twisting together aplurality of wire strands 10 with the ends 11 spread apart in pan shapeas in the FIG. 4 embodiment and flocking such ends 11 in the mannerdescribed above.

As an example, the shaft 2 may be No. 20, .0320 inch diameternon-magnetic soft Monel metal wire 5 /2 inches in length, and the wires7 may be No. 28, .0126 inch diameter or No. 29, .0113 inch diameterMonel metal wire 2 /2 inches long with .060 inch diameter flockingthereon, However, it should be undesrtood that other flexible materialscould be used for the wire, such as stainless steel or certain plasticssuch as nylon, for example. The only requirement for the shaft 2 is thatit be suflic'iently rigid that it does not buckle when inserted throughthe mouthpiece opening 4 or break during pulling of the tines 3 throughsuch opening by the shaft. The tines 3, on the other hand, must be ofspring material which may be flexed, in a manner fully explainedhereinbelow.

In use, the cleaning device 1 is oriented so that the plane of the tines3 is parallel to the widest dimension of the oval shape entrance 12 ofthe mouthpiece opening 4. Then the leading end 6 of the shaft 2 isinserted into the opening 4 and pushed therethrough until it projectsbeyond the other end of such opening, after which the rebent end 6 isgripped for pulling of the flexible tines 3 through such opening. Asevident, as the tines 3 are drawn through the opening 4, they are flexedinwardly by the walls 13 of the opening even at its widest dimensionwhich is the width of the oval shape entrance 12. This inward flexingcauses the tines 3 to yieldably engage the Walls 13, thus providing astrong wiping action for removing even encrusted dirt particles andtobacco tars therefrom. The walls defining the narrow dimension of theentrance 12 are also engaged by the tines 3, but not yieldably engagedthereby. Of course, the maximum dimension of the tines 3 collectivelywhen squeezed together must be small enough to pass through the smallestdimension of the opening 4.

It can now be seen that the cleaning device of the present invention isof a unique construction which is capable of removing dirt particles andthe like from the remote surfaces of the walls of a mouthpiece openingespecially at the widest dimension of the oval shape entrance which washeretofore generally not possible. Moreever, even where the dirtparticles have hardened somewhat for failure regularly to clean themouthpiece, such dirt particles can be removed by the cleaning device ofthe present invention due to the resilient wiping force created by theflexible tines.

Other modes of applying the principles of the invention may be employed,change being made as regards the details described, provided thefeatures stated in any of the following claims or the equivalent of suchbe employed.

I therefore, particularly point out and distinctly claim as myinvention:

1. A device for cleaning the opening through a mouthpiece for pipes,cigarette holders, cigar holders, and the like comprising a plurality ofangularly disposed resiliently deformable tines all in the same planeand spread apart in :fan shape, said tines being covered with a fibrousmaterial, and shaft means to which said tines are attached for pullingsaid tines in a forward direction through the opening of a mouthpiece,said tines extending rearwardly from one end of said shaft means andbeing adapted to be resiliently biased against the wall of such openingduring passage therethrough for removing tobacco tars and dirt particlestherefrom, said shaft means comprising a plurality of wire strandstwisted together, the wire strands at said one end of said shaft meansbeing spread apart in fan shape as aforesaid to provide said tines.

2. A device for cleaning the opening through a mouthpiece for pipes,cigarette holders, cigar holders, and the like comprising a plurality ofangularly disposed resiliently deformable tines all in the same planeand spread apart in fan shape, said tines being covered with a fibrousmaterial, shaft means to which said tines are attached for pulling saidtines in a forward direction through the opening of a mouthpiece, saidtines extending rearwardly from one end of said shaft means and beingadapted to be resiliently biased against the wall of such opening duringpassage therethrough for removing tobacco tars and dirt particlestherefrom, said tines consisting of a plurality of wires each bent atthe middle of its length into a V-shape to provide two of said tines,and means for rigidly attaching said wires to said one end of said shaftmeans at their middle, said means for rigidly attaching said wires tosaid one end of said shaft means comprising welded connections betweensaid shaft means and said wires at their middle.

3. A device for cleaning the opening through a mouthpiece for pipes,cigarette holders, cigar holders, and the like comprising a plurality ofangularly disposed resiliently deformable tines all in the same planeand spread apart in fan shape, said tines being covered with a fibrousmaterial, shaft means to which said tines are attached for pulling saidtines in a forward direction through the opening of a mouthpiece, saidtines extending rearwardly from one end of said shaft means and beingadapted to be resiliently biased against the Wall of such opening duringpassage therethrough for removing tobacco tars and dirt particlestherefrom, said tines consisting of a plurality of wires each bent atthe middle of its length into a V-shape to provide two of said tines,and means for rigidly attaching said wires to said one end of said shaftmeans at their middle, there being two of said wires bent at theirmiddle into V-shape to provide four of said tines, said wires being bentat approximately the same angle and the middle of said wires beingattached to said one end of said shaft means slightly spaced apart alongthe axial length thereof.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein said means for rigidly attaching saidwires to said one end of said shaft means comprises a flat on said oneend of said shaft means which is bent around and against the middle ofsaid wires.

5. The device of claim 3 wherein pairs of said tines are attached tosaid one end of said shaft means, said pairs of tines having an includedangle of approximately 30 therebetween, and said tines being of springmetal wire approximately .0113 inch in diameter and 2 /2 inches longwith .060 inch flocking thereon,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,219,734 3/1917 Harrimain131-245 1,644,574 10/1927 Fitzgerald et al. 131-243 XR 2,189,556 2/1940Younghusband 131-245 2,433,105 12/1947 Engberg 131-245 2,486,247 10/1949Berlin et a1 131-245 2,931,366 4/1960 Siegel 131-245 FOREIGN PATENTS8,336 4/ 1898 Great Britain. 8,169 4/ 1906 Great Britain.

JOSEPH S. REICH, Primary Examiner.

